Construction for loading automobiles in freight-cars



A. COPONY.

CONSTRUCTION FOR LOADING AUTOMOBILES IN FREIGHT CARS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22.1917.

Reissued July 31, 1917. 14:,335.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

awwwitoz A. COPONY. CONSTRUCTION FOR LOADING AUTOMOBILESJNJREIGHT CARS.

APPLICATION FlLED JUNE 22. 1-917,

Reissued July 31, 1917.

I amuemloz Az rwz 00 19021 m1, mm Wk 10mm clmm a UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

. anmn coPon'Y', or niirnorr, urcnrem, nssrenop, BY manor AND mnsn'nASSIGN- unu'rs, TO coromr AUTO-LOADING comm, A conrona'rron or MICHIGAN.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Amman Coronr, a

subject of the Emperor of Austria, residingv at Detroit, in the countyof Wayne and estate of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Construction for Loadin 'Automobiles in Frei ht- Cars,of which t' e following is a sp'ec1 cation, reference being had hereinto the accomp anying drawings.

This invention relates to automobile freight cars and refers moreparticularly to a new and improved construction for loading au-,tomobiles in freight cars, the automobiles therein; to provide a simpleand rigid construction in which the suspension elements for theautomobiles are rigidly braced by tri- 2 5 angular braces in two or moreplanes; to

provide a construction in which the triangular bracing above referred tocan be utilized and the apex of at least one of the triangles changed inposition so as to adjust '30 the automobile upward; to provide means formaking this adjustment after the automobile is in place upon thesuspension means, thus allowing a block and tackle to be used forraising the automobile toward the car roof and ermitting the automobileto be lowered su ciently to give clearance in removing the block andtackle; to provide means for suspending automobiles in either metal orwooden cars and in oral to pro- 40 vide an improved and simp ifiedconstruction of the character referred to.

The invention further resides in such features of construction andarrangements and combinations of parts as will more fully hereinafterappear.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a cross section showing the manner ofsuspending the automobile; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the onmembers shown in Fig. 1; 3 is a in enta showing a sligh y m suspens onmember;

erspective view construction of Specification o1 Beissued LettersPatent.

- ori inal llo. 1,186,553, dated .Iune 18, 191e, Serial No. 90,088,filed April 10, 1918.

' filed J'une 221L 1917.

tomobiles.

Reissued July 31, 191 '7.

Application for reissue Serial 110. 176,488.

Fig. 4; is an end elevation of a still further modification;

Fig. 5 is a transverse view of the supporting member shown in Fig. 4:.

In loadin automobiles in freight cars having a re atively smallclearance, difficulty has been encountered in getting more than onelayer of automobiles into the f:eight car. Where the automobiles areraised by a block and tackle it is customary to permit the automobile todrop back a sufiicient amount to permit the removal of the block andtackle. The present invention contemplates an arrangement whereby theautomobile after being lowered to permit of the removal of the block andtackle can be adjusted upward toward the roof so as topermit of a secondautomobile being placed beneath the suspended one. In suspending theautomobile it is necessary to provide very rigid support and one that isproperly braced. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 I haveemployed a novel arrange ment wherein a triangular suspension member Ahaving sides B and O is provided with a U bolt D adapted to be clampedover the axle E of the automobile. There is of course a pair of thesesuspension members for both the front and rear axles of the au The blockand tackle arrangement F is employed for raising the automobile uptoward the roof of the freight car and when so positioned the suspensionmembers are attached as follows. The upper ends of the rods G are hookedinto the eye bolts-G and the lower end of the rodextended through a holeH in the crossbar H of the triangular brace A.

Secured to the side wall of the freight car is a cross brace L, therebeing one of these 'cross braces for each triangular brace and the endsAand A of the triangular brace extend under the brace L. The nut'M isthen tightened up on the rod G sufliciently to hold the triangular bracein. the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. In removing the blockand tackle an X-shaped support N bearing against the brake band housmgand resting on the floor of the car may be employed for holding theautomobile temporarily. The nut M is ,then tightened up on the threadedend of the rod ,G until eachof the triangular braces have been raised tothe position shown, in full lines in Fig. 1.

The arrangement of the triangular brace and the supporting rod G whichis connected to the cross bar H gives a triangular bracing efi'ect inboth vertical and horizontal planes so that the automobile when onqesuspended, is rigidly braced in both direc tions. In the constructionshown in Fig. 3 the lower ends of the main triangular brace aretoe-nailed to the floor of the car and an auxiliary brace run from theheadof the triangular or A-brace to the side of the car..

' This construction is particularly adapted for use where the side' ofthe car is formed of steel plates which would not permit the nailing ofsupports for the A-braces directly to the side of the'car. A rod G"similar to the rod G is employed in this construction,

and the end of the auxiliary brace Gr rests.

against the car side. Thus the same advantages of triangular bracing'ina plurality'of planes and adjustment to raise the 'apex or supportingpart of the triangle after the automobile is in position, is permitted.

In the modification shown in'Figs. 1' and 5 the supporting rods areomitted and the shoved over'toward it until the automobile is raised asfar as possible toward the ceiling. The end V of the side S is thennailed to the floor and the nut on the bolt T tightened up so that theautomobile will be securely locked from movement in either direction.

Moreover in all cases there is suliicient" clearance, left beneath theupper automobile to hold a secondone even with cars having as small aclearance as eight and one-half feet.

While I have shown and described various embodiments of my invention itis obvious that numerous changes can be made in the details ofconstruction without departing from the scope of my invention. Itherefore do not desire to limit the latter except as specified in theappended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination with a freight 'car, of

means for suspending an automobile therein.

the apexof one of the triangles after the automobile is in place.

3. The combination with a freight car, of

means for suspending an automobile therein, comprising a suspensionmember having a triangular portion, means for securing the automobile'to the triangle and means for raising that portion of the triangletoward the roof of the car whilethe automobile is supported on thesuspension member.

4:. The combination with a freight car, of means for suspending anautomobile therein to provide clearance for a second automobile beneaththe first, said means comprising a triangular brace member and means forchanging the position of the triangle to adjust the automobile towardthe roof of the car. 7

5. The combination with a freightcar, of means for suspending anautomobile therein to provide clearance for a second automobile beneaththe first, said means comprising a brace cooperating with the side ofthe car,

said brace member having a portion project-,

a ing in a vertical plane and a portion proj ecting in a horizontalplane. Y

. In testimony whereof I afiix my signature at Detroit, Wayne county,Michigan, this 13th day of June, 1917.

ALFRED COPONY.

